It is so wonderful to make memories. I am putting them all into a special box in my head for possible days when I can't do things. Last night I went to South Hill Park to see Blake with my girlies. It was wonderful and we all really enjoyed it. They are great singers but also interact with their audience. They were accompanied by a girl group called The Cadbury Sisters. They had wonderful voices. We managed to chat with them afterwards. Blake all signed my friend C's wheelchair which was great fun. And I managed a late night- after 10.00!

In the morning we had church at Bearwood where our 4 churches all met together. It was great and lovely to see lots of people we haven't seen for ages. I did the prayers which was a great privilege.

Today coffee with a friend and recovering from yesterday!

Post arrived this morning with a date for my surgery - this Wednesday in Oxford! Hopefully my hospital trips will then be over for a while! It should be quite straightforward and hopefully will help my arm. I can't now get my arm in many of my jumpers, cardigans, t-shirts etc..... so have moved into yet another dress size - 18!!! I have clothes from size 8 - 18! Someone suggested I open a clothes store! My arm fits nicely into an 18 but the rest leaves room for another person! Ho hum!

Today a quiet day - Paul is off to London to the opera. Tomorrow church at Bearwood and going to see Blake at Southill Park on Sunday evening with some of the bible study ladies.

Thank you for praying for D he has been found and is now receiving treatment.

Sunshine - yippee! It is so lovely to see the sun. Everything looks better.

Today cooking, ladies who lunch and bible study. Followed by a quietish weekend.

Thursday already - how fast the weeks go. Lovely time in school yesterday. Great to catch up with people. My blood pressure was great yesterday at the GPs which means I am on the right level of drugs. So all good - just waiting to hear about date for op on my arm.

Today a quiet day - tidying, cooking, sewing, hoovering! Lovely!

Very interesting hospital day yesterday. I saw the oncologist who is very pleased with my progress and doesn't want to see me for 6 months - wow! That is a long time. We discussed my arm and he agreed that it is very difficult to know what is due to the mastectomy and node removal and what is due to the fistula. It was helpful to talk about the various issues surrounding fistula removal. I then went for a check up with the access nurse who was in a clinic with a surgeon from Oxford. He had a space and asked to see me. He was so helpful. He gave me all the information both the +ve and -ves. To cut a long story short I will have my fistula tied off in the next 2- 3 weeks. I will then have my right arm scanned to see if it would be possible(should I need it) to use it for another fistula. If it could be used then should I need dialysis I would have a fistula or a graft in that arm about 6-8 weeks before I started dialysis. Hopefully I will never need it but it will be good to know what the options are. All in all a good day.

Please be praying, a friend of Chloe's, D has been missing from his home possibly since Sunday evening. He is vulnerable and has been sad recently. Everyone is very concerned for him.

Today - GP appointment to check my BP, coffee at school and housegroup this evening.

New week begins. This week I have an oncology appointment, Gp appointment, coffee with friends, bible study, housegroup, shopping, South Hill Park to see Blake and church at Bearwood. Lovely! Hoping to also fit in a trip to school. Maybe a bit of tidying and cleaning too. A good week. A bit of a slow start this morning - sleeping is still not brilliant when I wake 3 times a night - great that my kidneys are working so well would just appreciate if they worked more in the daytime and less at night!

Hoping that you all have good weeks - nearly at the end of January - soon will be spring.

This is my 545 blog - wow! That is a lot of words and 35,000 views. Thank you for being part of my journey to this point. Who would have thought that first day 27th May when I started blogging what the next 20 months would include. I am so changed!

This is the passage that Julian (our Vicar) read to us when he came to pray

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

² My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you—

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

How true is that the Lord has watched over my life and he hasn't slept.

I had a great day yesterday with Chloe. We had lunch at a restaurant opposite the theatre which was very nice. Lovely food and great service. It was good to catch up on our busy weeks! Chloe has just finished her rheumatolgy rotation which is combined with orthopaedics - 2 weeks is all they have. She didn't see a single rheumatolgy patient just lectures and very few ortho ones. Considering how huge these areas are in medicine that doesn't seem very good. We then went to the theatre and saw South Pacific - it was great. Wonderful singing!

Today I am warn out - I have had a busy week - 3 journeys on trains - 1 1/2 days in hospital, 3 cannulas, 5 attempts to get blood, 1 op on arm, 1 renal clinic,bible study, flower arranging, etc..... Sounds like a busy week doesn't it! Especially as not so long ago I spent most of my days on the sofa or in bed. So today just some sorting out of Chloe's room as Debz H is coming to stay again. She will be staying with us during the week until Easter.

The week ahead is a bit more peaceful - not quite so much fitted in!